In the last week of August, 1987, my company set out on the last mission we had at AIT. We'd had an FTX in the field, and acquitted ourselves well. But the last task remained. So, at 3 AM in the morning, we loaded up our gear, put on our rucksacks, 'port of arms' our weapons, and started marching. 27 miles later, we made it back to the barracks at just before 9 AM.
Waiting for us was a Staff Sergeant with the most beautiful thing, outside of a babe in a bikini, I'd ever seen: the light blue cord of the US Army Infantry. When the Captain handed one to me and shook my hand, I was about ready to fall over in exhaustion, but I grabbed that cord like my life depended on it.
Congratulations on achieving something your body at every chance says, "You can't do it!", because just when you think you've completely run out of gas, there's always a little left in the tank.